Canon Vixia HF M52 First Impressions Review

Introduction

Some hardware features have also been improved and brought up to date. The M52's sensor works better than its preceding model, also the Story Creator now has more frequent and more detailed tips. The camcorder also offers a new Intelligent Optical Image Stabilizer, which can be adjusted between four specialized operating modes. The M52 is also capable of saving backups directly to an external hard drive.

Video Review

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Lens & Imaging System

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The HF M52 features the same sensor as the mid-range and flagships models of last year, though Canon has improved the sensitivity of this camcorder, and it now requires only 1.2 lux of minimum illumination, versus the 1.3 lux minimum of the M41. This new model does have a lower pixel count though.

If the update to the sensor is as effective as the M41's, this camcorder should be an excellent low light performer, though we won't know for sure until our full review.

The M52's lens is capable of 10x optical zoom, with a bright maximum aperture of f/1.8. The barrel is threaded for 43mm filters.

Front

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Right

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Back

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Left

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Top

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Bottom

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Compression

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To support this camcorder's WiFi functionality more effectively, the M52 supports both AVCHD and MP4 encoding. Videos in MP4 are easier to upload than AVCHD.

Five shooting modes are available for AVCHD, the highest is 24 Mbps, while only two are available for MP4 (up to 9 Mbps).

Read more about the advantages and disadvantages of different compression types.

Media

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The HF M52 includes 32 GB of internal memory, but only a single slot for SD, SDHC, and SDXC memory cards. Last year's model was equipped with two slots, but at least relay recordings are still available (from internal memory to the card).

Read more about the advantages and disadvantages of different media types.

Editing

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The M52 ships with the second version of the Pixela Network Utility, which includes various programs for video editing and management on a computer.

The camcorder itself includes a number of interesting editing functions, including an excellent HD to SD video converter. As long as a memory card is inserted, HD files can be converted directly to SD. Videos may also be cut or split with faders, or decorated with stamps and embellishments.

The Story Creator, that Canon introduced last year, is also found in the M52. Clips may be categorized into a variety of topics (travel, party, kids & pets, etc.), then recorded as a narrative sequence of events and subsequently combined into a story.

Auto Mode

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The many available automatic modes might be a bit too much for beginners. Canon offers several possibilities for automatic use, though in the standard mode, everything except zoom adjusts automatically. While shooting video, the Cinema style filter is used, and this is probably the most flexible automatic mode available, allowing optional manual adjustment of every variable except for shutter speed and aperture.

Scene Modes

There are nine Scene modes, in addition to the Cinema mode. Smart Scene is available too, this time with 38 different shooting situations. The new Audio Scene mode allows the user to choose from five options including ambient noise reduction, music, and speech. All Scene modes may be used in conjunction with video snapshot or story creator.

Exposure

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The M52 allows manual control over many shooting options, including aperture and shutter (though only one or the other), focus, exposure compensation, automatic gain control limit, and visual effects like color, sharpness, contrast, and brightness. Manual settings are also available for white balance and AF/AE tracking.

Ease of Use

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Canon has added a new Home button to the M52, which brings up a screen with four icons: shooting mode, recording mode, main settings, and other settings. Separating functions like this is a decent idea, but every time an option is selected, the interface automatically exits this menu, so the process must be started over from scratch. If you need to update many preferences at once, this will become annoying.

Physical buttons for Home, Video Snapshot, and Playback are all located inside the LCD cavity, but all other functions must be activated using the touchscreen.

In playback mode the Home button performs the same function, but only three icons are displayed this time: one of which controls the WiFi connection. Reviewed clips may either be displayed fullscreen or in a 3 x 3 grid.

Handling

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The strap is padded and wide, and the camcorder fits comfortably and snugly into the hand. Fingers come to rest exactly where they need to, with zoom and record buttons placed ideally for one-handed shooting. All other options are mapped to the LCD cavity or the touchscreen menu, and require the left hand to operate.

The touchscreen's performance is average compared to most others on the market. Sometimes we had to repeatedly tap the screen before a menu option would activate, and responsiveness seems to have a delay. With the touch pen (or a fingernail), operation of the screen is easier and more accurate.

Stabilization

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This camcorder features "smart" optical image stabilization which can be set to one of four modes: dynamic, powered, tripod, and macro.

Portability

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The M52 is smaller than the M41, weighing only 360g with dimensions of 68 x 64 x 121mm. This camcorder will therefore fit more easily into a bag, and can be operated more comfortably with one hand.

The ability to backup recorded data onto an external hard drive is also very nice, and reduces the risk of maxing out the internal memory before, say, a long holiday.

If you're really out of space, HD footage can also be downconverted to SD, and of course the SD memory card slot is also available.

Battery

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Canon will include their BP-718 lithium battery with the M52, and the company claims this will allow 2 hours and 10 minutes of recording on one charge. A stronger battery will also be available, the BP-727, which lasts 3 hours and 15 minutes.

The battery compartment of the M52 is fairly small, so even the supplied battery protrudes from the rear housing.

LCD & Viewfinder

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The LCD monitor is a 3-inch, 230,000-dot model. Again, this is a touchscreen and its operation is a little difficult, but this often has more to do with the congested design of the interface than the actual performance of the panel.

Audio Features

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Sound is captured in Dolby Digital 2 channel stereo, but with an optional microphone it's possible to record in 5.1. The camcorder also features an Audio Scene selection mode that can be used to automatically optimize audio recording for a given environment. In other words, it works just like regular Scene mode, except with audio.

Connectivity

Still Features

Other Features

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Story Creator

Canon has refined the Story Creator, which continues to offer shooting ideas and also more targeted advice. For example, while shooting food the camera may suggest "4 second wide shot, close-up food."

WiFi

The biggest news of the HF M52 is the new wireless functionality. Videos may be uploaded wirelessly to the web, transmitted to a computer or DLNA device, or used with an iOS device like iPhone or iPad. Canon will also provide a service called the Canon Image Gateway (CIG), which will give each user 2 GB of cloud data storage. The associated iPhone app for this service is expected to debut in March.

Sadly we didn't have an opportunity to see any of these features in action, since it wasn't possible to achieve a connection on the crowded show floor.

Video Snapshot

It's possible to take video clips, with a length of only 2 to 8 seconds, then group shots like these together and play them back with music. It's sort of a updated, crowd-pleasing version of typical image review mode.

Audio Scene Select

Just like regular scene modes adjust shooting settings for ambient lighting, subject movement, etc., the new Audio Scene mode setting does the same for sound. It's possible to choose from five options: Standard, Music, Speech, Birds, and Noise Reduction (Wind Cut).

Conclusion

While the Canon HF M52 uses the same sensor as the previous model, the company has enhanced it for slightly better handling of low light conditions. We like the large selection of auto modes, but also appreciate the numerous manual settings for advanced users. Operation of the camera is pretty easy overall, especially with the new Home button, though it can be cumbersome if you select the wrong function by mistake.

The internal help system is great, especially the explanations of various modes and settings. And if the WiFi functionality works as well as Canon claims, uploading videos should be a walk in the park.

Overall, the HF M52 seems to be a pretty strong entry level camcorder, but of course we'll need to test this model in our lab to be sure.

The Canon Vixia HF M52 will be available this March, for $750.

Photo Gallery

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Specs

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